ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Curtis Brown’s family members are now working to bring his body back to Mississippi.

Cindy Howard, Brown’s mother, said she is upset that she did not know that his body had been stolen from a Rockford funeral home until days later. Now, the family said the situation is only adding to their emotions.

“If this van was taken on Saturday, why are we not just updated Monday,” asked Sharon Spearman, Brown’s aunt.

Emotions are high for Brown’s family. Spearman said that they were not told that his body was missing until days after it happened.

“You’re supposed to immediately tell us, because his mother was still in town,” Spearman said. “She didn’t leave until Sunday morning, going back to Mississippi.”

Howard still lives in Mississippi, Brown’s home state. She found out when she read the news online that there was a missing body from the funeral home where she left her son.

“I see the thing on Facebook about this and I called the funeral home, and she [funeral director Brandy Collins] said ‘we have a situation here, I’ll call you back,'” Howard said.

Howard said that it was difficult to get details from Collins, director of Collins & Stone Funeral Home. She said that the stress only added to the pain of losing her son.

“The emotions that I am going through, my hair is beginning to fall out and my nerves is on 30-30, I’ll put it that way,” Howard said. “I just feel sick.”

Brown was the father of 12 and had family all over the country, including in Rockford, where he lived. He died from a heart attack that he experienced while at work.

His family says they will now remember the fun memories of him as they hope to bring him back to Mississippi.

“And not just only me, it’s the whole family up there, all his friends and everything up there is hurting,” Howard said. “He loved his family, he loved all of his kinfolk, and he was just the life of the party.”